ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. court — of a king
  4. craft — a skill
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pitch — completely
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. sharp — clever
  14. court — of law
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. court — for sport
  23. craft — boats
  24. hide — animal skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com